How to make ad-hoc polymorphism less ad hoc

ABSTRACT

This paper presents type classes, a new approach to ad-hoc polymorphism. Type classes permit overloading of arithmetic operators such as multiplication, and generalise the “eqtype variables” of Standard ML. Type classes extend the Hindley/Milner polymorphic type system, and provide a new approach to issues that arise in object-oriented programming, bounded type quantification, and abstract data types. This paper provides an informal introduction to type classes, and defines them formally by means of type inference rules.

References

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Index Terms

• Software and its engineering

  • Software notations and tools

    • Compilers

      • Translator writing systems and compiler generators

    • General programming languages

      • Language features

      • Language types